Market Overview – United Arab Emirates

Note: This report includes forecasting data that is based on baseline historical data.

Market snapshot

The United Arab Emirates' (UAE) population is 9.8 million people (2021) with 86.8% of the population residing in urban areas and of mainly expatriates of south Asian origin. As tourism ground to a halt and companies laid off employees due to 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, an exodus of expats occurred, contracting the population by around 10%.

The UAE has an open, diversified economy that is worth US$354 billion in 2020, down from US$421.1 billion in 2019.

Dates are the primary domestic crop in the UAE with fresh vegetables representing the bulk of other domestic crop production. Chickens, goats, and sheep are the UAE's most common domestic livestock animals, representing 88.7% of domestic livestock production, with camels and cattle combined representing 11.3%.

Top agri-food and seafood exportsFootnote 1 to the UAE in 2020 were milled rice, canola seeds, food preparations, and tobacco cigarettes. Key exporting countries were India, the U.S., Brazil, and the EU.

Canada was the fifth largest exporter of agri-food and seafood products to the UAE, exporting Can$986.0 million with a 5.1% market share. Top Canadian exports were canola seeds, lentils, durum and non-durum wheat, and shelled peas.

The use of Ecommerce and digital payments skyrocketed during the pandemic, most notably, in food and drink Ecommerce. Retailers improved their online and mobile communications, with many using social media. It is expected that online grocery shopping will continue even when all social distancing measures are removed.

The pandemic had a drastically negative impact on all subsectors of consumer foodservice in the UAE in 2020, primarily due to the impact of national lockdown restrictions, where restaurants were forced to close to eat in patrons for long periods of time.

 

Consumer profile

The UAE's population is 9.8 million people (2021) with 86.8% of the population residing in urban areas. immigrants make up 87.9% of the total population, mainly of south Asian origin. The population is heavily concentrated in the three largest emirates - Abu Dhabi (1.452 million - capital), Dubai (2.833 million), and Sharjah (1.629 million). Individuals aged 25-54 make up 68.0% of the population.

The UAE has an open, diversified economy that was worth US$354 billion in 2020, down from US$421.1 billion in 2019. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates the UAE's gross domestic product (GDP) will rebound to US$401 billion in 2021. Politically and economically, the UAE is seen as one of the most stable and diversified economies in the Middle East.

The pandemic brought great economic disruptions to the UAE, given its high proportion of GDP based on tourism, retail, transport and hospitality. The pandemic also exposed the vulnerability of the UAE's heavy reliance on guest workers. Dubai's private sector workforce is 98% composed of foreigners. Given that 90% of the UAE population is made up of expats with residency linked to employment, the fundamental drivers of retail growth are population and tourist arrivals.

As tourism ground to a halt and companies laid off employees, a subsequent exodus of expats reduced the population by around 10%. The shrinking population significantly depressed consumer spending, putting pressure on retailers and triggering bankruptcies. Wealthier expats are not expected to return to the UAE in droves, with younger, less-paid and inexperienced expats most likely to return to the UAE and fill the void. This is expected to impact shopping patterns and shift focus from premium to mass retailing, fuelled by growth in discounter and mid budget retailers. Pre-pandemic (2019) population levels are not expected to return until mid 2023 at the earliest.

to attract foreign workers, the UAE has introduced legislative changes to encourage expats to live in Dubai long term. This includes allowing expats to qualify for a path to citizenship, a first for the UAE. Also introduced is a five year renewable retirement visa for high net-worth individuals and the relaxation of strict laws, including allowing unmarried couples to live together and the loosening of alcohol rules, which may help to attract high-quality foreign talent. However, demand for expat workers will remain low as the global economic recovery slowly unfolds.

Production

Dates are the primary domestic crop in the UAE with fresh vegetables representing the rest of the UAE's domestic crop production. Fresh vegetable production grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 43.5% between 2015 and 2019, followed by cucumbers, tomatoes, and fresh fruit..

Crop production and livestock in the United Arab Emirates top ten crops (tonnes)
Crops 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 CAGR* % 2015-2019
Dates 402,937 410,958 344,714 345,119 323,478 −5.3
Cucumbers and gherkins 37,549 35,427 53,915 71,350 73,982 18.5
Tomatoes 46,550 43,791 80,236 78,607 72,357 11.7
Carrots and turnips 54,600 54,119 37,674 42,023 44,731 −4.9
Vegetables, fresh, nowhere else specified 7,779 8,014 11,404 10,652 32,976 43.5
Onions, shallots, green 26,698 25,554 25,837 26,119 26,402 −0.3
Pumpkins, squash and gourds 18,455 13,103 23,762 20,501 18,537 0.1
Eggplants 18,555 15,633 20,486 20,859 16,272 −3.2
Cabbages and other brassicas 13,549 13,641 11,694 14,055 13,452 −0.2
Fruit, fresh, nowhere else specified 9,004 8,920 9,297 10,289 11,001 5.1

Source: FAOSTAT Agricultural Production, September 2021

*CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate

Top three meats produced in the United Arab Emirates, '000 tonnes
Meat 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 CAGR* % 2015-2019
Goat 49,000 53,000 55,000 58,387 61,557 5.9
Chicken 47,635 47,646 47,556 48,257 48,942 0.7
Camel 31,014 32,336 33,928 34,151 34,882 3.0
Beef 18,501 18,098 18,012 18,019 18,534 0.0

Source: USDA, September 2021

*CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate

Goat and chicken are the most common meat produced in the UAE, followed by camel and beef. Goats and sheep are the UAE's most common domestic livestock animals, representing 88.7% of domestic livestock production, with camels, cattle, and chicken combined representing 11.3%.

Top five livestock produced in the United Arab Emirates, per head
Livestock 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 CAGR* % 2015-2019
Goats 2,225,532 2,244,445 2,329,732 2,395,166 2,437,191 2.3
Sheep 2,134,299 2,128,400 2,128,755 2,147,665 2,205,458 0.8
Camels 430,372 443,568 459,971 457,526 461,788 1.8
Cattle 110,929 108,384 106,177 104,579 105,935 −1.1
Chickens 23,183 23,441 23,587 24,130 24,673 1.6

Source: FAOSTAT Agricultural Production, September 2021

*CAGR:Compound Annual Growth Rate

Trade

Top agri-food and seafood exportsFootnote 1 to the UAE in 2020 were milled rice, canola seeds, food preparations, and tobacco cigarettes. Key exporting countries were India, the U.S., Brazil, and the EU. Canada was the fifth largest exporter of agri-food and seafood products to the UAE, exporting Can$986.0 million with a 5.1% market share. Top Canadian exports were canola seeds, lentils, durum and non-durum wheat, and shelled peas.

Top agri-food and seafood exports to the United Arab Emirates, 2020
Commodity Export value Can$ millions Top suppliers and market share Canada's share %
1 2 3
Milled rice 749.2 India: 68.7% Pakistan: 26.0% Thailand: 2.6% 0.0
Canola seeds 607.4 Canada: 87.8% Australia: 4.6% Germany: 0.1%  
Food preparations 582.2 India: 79.8% United States: 13.5% United Kingdom: 7.0% 1.3
Tobacco cigarettes 561.2 South Korea: 55.7% Greece: 7.2% Armenia: 6.2% 0.0
Powdered milk 440.5 New Zealand: 82.3% Saudi Arabia: 4.7% Netherlands: 3.7%  
Cane sugar 423.5 Brazil: 97.9% India: 0.9% Singapore: 0.9%  
Poultry offal 390.1 Brazil: 75.1% United States: 11.6% Ukraine: 7.3% 0.0
Malt extract 382.6 Chile: 16.2% Netherlands: 15.8% Ireland: 14.5%  
Wheat and meslin 376.1 Russia: 52.8% Canada: 16.4% Australia: 14.5% 0.0
Alfalfa 368.3 Spain: 35.9% United States: 21.7% Italy: 21.1% 1.4
Source: Global Trade Tracker, 2021

Processed food and beverage exports to the UAE were valued at Can$11.7 billion in 2019. Brazil, India, the U.S., the EU, and New Zealand were the largest exporters of processed food to the UAE in 2018, providing over 80% of the market. Canada's share was 0.4%. Processed food exports to the UAE fell by a CAGR of −4.9% from 2015 to 2019. The fastest growing exports in the last five years were beef, malt extract, and poultry offal.

T op ten processed food and beverage exports to the United Arab Emirates in Can$ millions
Products 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 CAGR* % 2016-2020
Total 14,650.6 15,129.2 14,004.5 14,262.8 12,992.8 −3.0%
Milled rice 1,066.2 925.9 878.7 804.2 749.2 −8.4%
food preparations 578.0 531.3 524.0 604.5 582.2 0.2%
Powdered milk 350.2 523.3 447.6 395.5 440.5 5.9%
Cane sugar 367.0 634.3 457.9 264.7 423.5 3.7%
Poultry offal 431.5 500.6 470.4 557.8 390.1 −2.5%
Malt extract 239.5 298.8 298.5 350.0 382.6 12.4%
Alfalfa 416.8 334.7 369.0 460.0 368.3 −3.1%
Poultry 375.7 341.7 325.0 387.4 329.7 −3.2%
Beef 243.1 239.2 337.4 462.2 314.0 6.6%
Palm oil 297.4 399.4 287.9 239.1 302.6 0.4%

Source: Global Trade Tracker, 2021

*CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate

Retail sales

Packaged food sales increased by a CAGR of 6.2% between 2016 and 2020 with a further increase of 6.1% forecasted to 2025. The best performing segment was rice, pasta and noodles, registering a CAGR of 8.4% from 2016 to 2020. The use of Ecommerce and digital payments skyrocketed during the pandemic, most notably, in food and drink Ecommerce. Retailers responded by improving their online and mobile communications, with many using social media, including WhatsApp and Facebook to drive sales. It is expected that online grocery shopping will continue even when all social distancing measures are removed.

Historical and forecast agri-food retail sales in the United Arab Emirates, in fixed US$ millions
Products 2016 2020 CAGR* % 2016-2020 2021 2025 CAGR* % 2021-2025
Total 2,216.8 2,818.7 6.2 2,937.8 3,727.7 6.1
Rice, Pasta and Noodles 527.7 728.8 8.4 748.0 942.0 5.9
Baked Goods 523.9 631.3 4.8 662.7 835.7 6.0
Sauces, Dressings 301.5 397.6 7.2 416.8 533.4 6.4
Processed Meat and Seafood 262.3 331.3 6.0 346.7 455.4 7.1
Edible Oils 213.9 244.5 3.4 254.5 307.6 4.9
Processed Fruit and Vegetables 166.6 205.8 5.4 216.1 278.1 6.5
Sweet Spreads 91.8 120.0 6.9 125.5 164.2 7.0
Breakfast Cereals 89.8 109.5 5.1 114.6 144.1 5.9
Soup 23.6 29.4 5.6 31.2 40.2 6.5
Ready Meals 15.7 20.5 6.9 21.7 27.0 5.6

Source: Euromonitor, 2021

*CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate

Foodservice market

The pandemic had a drastically negative impact on all subsectors of consumer foodservice in the UAE in 2020, primarily due to the impact of national lockdown restrictions, where restaurants were forced to close to eat in patrons for long periods of time.

Expats were an important consumer base for many subsectors in UAE consumer foodservice. Many expats suffered heavy salary reductions or else were let go during the pandemic. As many expats could no longer afford the high cost of living in Dubai, many left the country, which had a major impact on the industry as a whole, but especially on cafés/pubs as expats were a key consumer base for outlets that served alcohol, as the UAE is an Islamic country.

Historical and forecast foodservice retail sales in the United Arab Emirates, in fixed US$ millions
Subsector 2016 2020 CAGR* % 2016-2020 2021 2025 CAGR* % 2021-2025
Total 28,106.8 20,721.1 1.9% 24,334.5 30,886.6 6.1%
Chained Foodservice 3,652.2 2,917.9 1.5% 3,307.1 4,291.8 6.7%
Independent Foodservice 10,401.2 7,442.7 2.1% 8,860.1 11,151.5 5.9%
Cafés/Bars 3,116.3 2,226.8 2.4% 2,629.2 3,662.9 8.6%
Full-Service Restaurants 8,038.3 5,698.7 1.5% 6,782.6 8,406.4 5.5%
Limited-Service Restaurants 2,778.0 2,318.2 2.2% 2,628.8 3,214.1 5.2%
Self-Service Cafeterias 55.1 55.6 8.4% 59.9 77.0 6.5%
Street Stalls/Kiosks 65.7 61.2 6.9% 66.8 82.9 5.5%

Source: Euromonitor, 2021

*CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate

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Resources

Market Overview – United Arab Emirates
Global Analysis Report

Prepared by: Kris Clipsham, International Market Research Analyst

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